When it comes to poverty alleviation and social security, China often cuts out the middleman and takes the benefits directly to the people. Chinese economist Jun Han talks about the lessons it holds for India
Jun Han
Age: 46 years
Designation: Director General, research department of rural economy, Development Research Centre of the State Council, China
Education: M.A. and Ph.D. in Agriculture Economics from Northwest Agricultural University, China
Career: Vice-president of Chinese Association of Agricultural Economics
Interests: Walking, visiting rural areas and interacting with people
India is in the process of redefining the way it estimates its poverty. What is the Chinese standard?
Actually, poverty reduction in China specifically means poverty reduction in rural areas. The target population is the rural population. The poverty line set by China’s central government is about $200 per year [per capita]. The population below this line is about 36 million. The poverty incidence rate in rural areas is about 4 percent.
(This story appears in the 02 July, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)